Michael Joyce: “Wozniacki can’t break an egg with her forehand”

Michael Joyce, Maria Sharapova’s former coach, is greatly disappointed in Caroline Wozniacki, saying in a recent interview for Bleacher Report, which I heartily recommend, that she “has to get more weight on her ball” because right now she “can’t break an egg with her forehand”. What could have the Dane done better in her career? Joyce believes that her father should have stepped away more and she should have given more time to other coaches to prove themselves and let the relationship develop.

Talking about Piotr as an obstacle, Joyce mentioned Sharapova’s father Yuri as a person who did give a free reign to his daughter’s coaches, even though it didn’t seem so:

But if Caroline’s dad is the coach it might be [a] problem because you can’t go in there and really help her if her dad has the final word on everything. That’s going to be an issue. That’s one thing about Yuri [Sharapov] that people don’t realize is that Maria always had good coaches. Yuri liked to hear he was the coach in public, but he was letting me work with her all the time.You see Wozniacki’s dad running down on the court. Yuri never ran down on the court, Sometimes you would see him yelling down at Maria, but half the time he was telling her what I had told him to say.

Joyce also mentioned how it was reckless of Wozniacki to let go of Ricardo Sachez after just two months of cooperation, during which Sanchez was not allowed to develop trust between the three.

That why I laugh at players who change coaches all the time, because it take a while to get to know somebody. We as men have a enough trouble figuring out women in general, let alone when they are playing a sport like tennis.

7 thoughts on “Michael Joyce: “Wozniacki can’t break an egg with her forehand””

I always laugh how other people think that they know exactly what Wozniacki should do. Ricardo Sanchez was touted to be some kind of supercoach but then again did he lead JJ to win a slam? Was she a no.1 for longer than Woz?

Well, you might laugh when I say something about Caro, but I think that Joyce has proved himself enough to be a reliable source, don’t you think? Don’t know what she needs, whatever it is a new coach or a new racket (btw, Yonex won’t be happy…), but it is painfully clear that she desperately NEEDS something. Truth to be told, this parent-coaching thing always creeps me out a little bit. How do you separate the two? A parent should be a support, someone to be there at the end of the day, no matter was it a good or a bad day. A coach is someone who sometimes needs to give a little bit of a tough love. How do you reconcile the two? And anyway, I bit of outside insight is ALWAYS needed, it provides another opinion, more distance, more objectivity.

Dusan, he asnwered those questions, he said that it was time for a change for Maria. Maybe it’s an excuse, but seems like valide reason for me – he taught her what he knew, now she needs to move forward, goes backward.

Yes Maggie,she needs change,and if you watched last couple of matches,Caro was more agressive and was attacking from defense.Anyway,Joyce’s comment was simply too much,because as i know he isn’t coaching anyone right now 🙂

Yes, if Joyce was that brilliant why is that Maria did not keep him…:-)? He is just repeating what other people said, the media are trying to squeeze out the last bits of interest from spreading negativity and hate against Wozniacki,IMHO.

I think that every player would appreciate a coach who lead them to so many titles and the position of best in the world. Piotr might have got some things wrong,too, but who doesn’t?